OK, what is a Hussar? My best view is that it’s a designation once given to light cavalry and based on 16th Century Hungarian models. They called them Hussarien, or Huszarien, or the like.

But, illustrations from Polish movies depict hussars as something more like heavy cavalry, including fully armored troopers (horses are not armored), equipped with lance, sword, and bow. Also, with strange “angel wing” attachments to their armor.

My only conclusion is that they are “Light” in contrast to earlier knights/cavaliers/ritteren, who were more heavily armed and armored.

Any ideas?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussar

Quoted: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussar

Well, that answers that question completely.  Thanks.

ETA:  As explained in the Wikipedia article, my confusion was thanks to the development of hussars as heavy cavalry in Poland, and light cavalry everywhere else.

Below is an illustration of a Polish hussar, circa 1675: